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3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
I thought I read the first book in this series but now I'm not sure. I can't really keep up with the family relationships (who belongs with who) and the supernatural mirror/ghosts is a bit much for me. I think I'm moving on to something new..
I want so badly to love this low country series… but I just can’t. This one specifically has the worst, most childish, red-flag-ignoring, stupid main character, I couldn’t speed the audio fast enough to get through the nonsense. The writing is cheesy and the whole “love story” is so obvious. I’m not sure who I’d recommend this to… it’s not even like a “summer read,” just so surface-level and eye-roll-inducing.
Couldn't even finish it--and I rarely leave a book unfinished!
This is the continuation of the first book, 'Sullivan's Island', which I thoroughly enjoyed. The first book was about Susan Hayes and her life as a child growing up and her present life. This second installment is about Beth Hayes, Susan's daughter, who is now a college-graduate and has agreed to house sit their family's beach home called the Island Gamble.
I had a difficult time even liking Beth in the first chapter of this book and actually started another book, finished that book, and came back to 'Return To Sullivan's Island'. Beth's character in the very beginning just seemed to feel that she was above everyone else in her family. Snooty. The book seemed like it was starting to have some potential, but the story line got kind of wishy-washy for me. Without giving out spoilers to the story, it seemed like items were wrapped up quickly and abruptly and before I knew it the story ended. Beth's character was quite naive and portrayed as she felt she was better than others. Not extremely likable, like her mother was in Sullivan's Island.
I had a difficult time even liking Beth in the first chapter of this book and actually started another book, finished that book, and came back to 'Return To Sullivan's Island'. Beth's character in the very beginning just seemed to feel that she was above everyone else in her family. Snooty. The book seemed like it was starting to have some potential, but the story line got kind of wishy-washy for me. Without giving out spoilers to the story, it seemed like items were wrapped up quickly and abruptly and before I knew it the story ended. Beth's character was quite naive and portrayed as she felt she was better than others. Not extremely likable, like her mother was in Sullivan's Island.
Good summer read. Did not realize there was a "Sullivan's Island" book - will try to read that one too! Listened to this per audio-book.
This is one of those books that makes you both relieved to have finished it and surprised that you got through the whole thing. This is the last time I take a recommendation from the Doubleday Book Club. "Return to Sullivan's Island" is what every aspiring writer should read as an example of what not to write. Incredibly bad dialogue that sounds even worse when read aloud, annoying characters that no one can possibly care about, haunted houses, and a ridiculous, drama-packed ending all await you on Sullivan's Island where the moral should be: Mom, don't ever jet off to Paris and leave your idiot daughter in charge - the typical white, rich, moronic damsel-in-distress. This is the same book where a woman can make a joke about getting raped on a date, yet her mother frowns upon her using the word "hell." And where another woman can die and be chucked into a freezer, and her brother says that an act like that is "unforgivable." Really? Oh, then the entire family will attend her funeral and demand that the closed casket be opened while ass-pinching is going on, then head out to the car for some whiskey afterwards. But don't worry, all of the major problems that occur in the last three chapters or so (including literal insanity and major fraud) are forgivable, and everyone manages to get their happy ending. Ugh - I hope I never read a book this bad ever again.
Wow. This was pretty bad. The main character is an idiot. The supporting characters (and there are too many, esp since NONE of them have a storyline) are one-dimensional and hard to keep straight.
The worst part for me, though, was that this author probably writes for and appeals to women over 50 (which is fine), but this book is about a 23 yr old - and NONE of the dialogue was fit for a 23 yr old. The CONSTANT admonishments about not swearing and being lady-like and all that "Southern" crap were annoying as Hell. NO 23 yr old woman says "gosh," unless they are some sort of Fundamentalist Christian - period.
The ghost added nothing - and they were so fantastical at the end that it ruined even the little bit of haunting interest.
I finished it because I didn't abandon it early enough - LOL.
The worst part for me, though, was that this author probably writes for and appeals to women over 50 (which is fine), but this book is about a 23 yr old - and NONE of the dialogue was fit for a 23 yr old. The CONSTANT admonishments about not swearing and being lady-like and all that "Southern" crap were annoying as Hell. NO 23 yr old woman says "gosh," unless they are some sort of Fundamentalist Christian - period.
The ghost added nothing - and they were so fantastical at the end that it ruined even the little bit of haunting interest.
I finished it because I didn't abandon it early enough - LOL.
Schmaltzy but good. Needed a break from murder and mayhem.
I REALLY wanted to like this book, because I truly enjoyed Sullivan's Island. I have read most all of DBF's books. Unfortunately, this one was so slow in the plot with shallow characters, that I didn't even finish it. This is a work of fiction, but DBF's style is she creates characters like people we know...Sorry, DBF....RtSI is a bomb.
Slightly different from prior Lowcountry books but still enjoyable. I liked reading about the Hamilton family again!